Miter saws are the hardest tools to master irrespective of the type (compound, sliding and dual-sliding compound saws).
Some of the miter saws are a bit expensive and their price to performance ratio is not justified.
Author’s Note: Miter saws are often misinterpreted as chop saws.
To solve this confusion, chop saws are simpler tools designed for simple cuts whereas miter saws are designed to make cuts at multiple angles.
To be more precise, a chop saw is very much similar to a miter saw in appearance but doesn’t offer a miter angle from 90 degrees as a miter saw does.
Today, we will be reviewing Tacklife PMS03A, a sliding compound miter saw which offers affordability, precision and convenience as compared to other 12-inch miter saws.
Tacklife company is quite famous for manufacturing reliable miter saws and the PMS03A is one of them, a powerful saw which gives a tough competition to DEWALT DWS715 (also a 12-inch miter saw).
Let’s get deeper into this miter saw to know more about its features and performance.
Tacklife PMS03A Specifications
| Model | PMS03A |
| Weight | 53 pounds |
| Blade size | 12-inch |
| Color | Gray and orange |
| Type | 12-inch miter saw |
| Power source | Corded electric |
| Voltage | 120 Volts |
| Wattage | 1700 Watts |
| Motor speed | 3800 RPM |
| Warranty | 2 years |
| Dimensions | 28.94 x 13.78 x 17.32 inches |
Overview
The PMS03A miter saw is basically a sliding compound miter saw which offers high portability and accuracy as compared to other miter saws under the same range.
Before we directly jump into the features and performance of this machine, let us tell you the basics of the sliding miter compound and how it works.
And, to know the basics, one must know the difference between three types of miters saws.
So, here you go..!
A sliding miter saw features a rail to slide the blade saw back and forth for deeper cuts.
Miter saws without rails (compound miter saws) offer less depth than sliding miter saws.
On the other hand, compound miter saws offer both bevel and miter cuts. Most of the miter saws are compound in design.
Now moving towards the sliding compound miter saw (PMS03A), this type of saw combines the best of both worlds.
In short, you get the rails, miter table and beveling cuts that go at various angles.
Sliding compound miter saws are mostly expensive and offer limited features but Tacklife PMS03A miter saw is not that costly.
That’s why we are here today to discuss this product in detail.
Let’s get deep into it…!
Ergonomic design and build quality
The PMS03A looks like the PMS02X in appearance.
The difference between both miter saws is, PMS03A is a sliding compound miter saw whereas the PMS02X is the compound miter saw.
However, the Tacklife PMS03A looks more fresh, sturdier and is bigger in size as compared to the other miter saws. Despite having bigger in size one can carry it easily around as it weighs 53 pounds only.
This miter saw is designed ergonomically.
The D-shaped handle of it is soft and comfortable to have a strong grip to cut the metals and woods with ease.
Next to the D-shaped main handle, there is an extended handle which adds more convenience and functionally to cut the desired piece.
Thanks to the tacklife that one can easily carry it around easily and it would be good for those who look for a portable one to work on multiple jobs.
However, the saw measures 28.94 x 13.78 x 17.32 inches and is 12-inch type.
The size of this sliding compound miter saw is compact as compared to other 12-inches miter saws.
Its double linear sliding rail allows you to cut anything smoothly.
The electric cord it comes with is only 10 feet long (standard size) and if you want to work away from the power supply, then an extension would suffice.
If we talk about its arm, it offers a swivel feature which allows the user to cut any type of piece (metal or wood) with 45 degrees of angle of variation from both sides.
Double bevel Blades
One of the interesting and eye-catching features of this sliding miter saw is double-bevel blade design.
This feature allows you to cut any type of wood, metal and plastic from any angle.
One can set the angle to -45°-0°+45°, which means a user can make any type of oblique cutting (where smooth surface finish is obtained and this cutting is mostly done in industries, in milling industries and drilling).
Unlike single-bevel miter saws, one can easily make multiple cuts at different angles by just swinging the miter saw.
Furthermore, the blades of this sliding compound miter saw are equipped with 40 Tooth TCT blades, which helps to cut the metals, rails, pipes, Zirconium, Cobalt and any type of metal with ease; credit goes to its Tungsten Carbide Tips.
You may also like to read: Best Wood Chippers Under $500
Cutting capacity
As far as its cutting performance is concerned, the Tacklife PMS03A offers precise cutting performance as compared to other miter saws.
After we tested this miter saw with different angles and tried it on every material.
This saw is best suited to cut wood, metals (soft and hard both) and plastic.
Here are some facts and figures about the cutting performance of this miter saw;
- Dual-bevel and dual-miter cutting up to 45 degrees of angle from both sides.
- A 12-inch miter saw has the maximum capacity to cut 7 ½ inches which is wide enough to cut 2 x 8 at 90 degrees.
- Maximum cross cut it offers; 41.3 x 131.9 inches.
- The maximum cutting stroke (refers to the maximum depth of the cut); 13 inches.
Motor
It is equipped with a 15 Amp motor which spins up to 3800 rpm (rounds/rotations per minute) and consumes the power of 1700 Watts.
Most of the 12-inches miter saws are equipped with motors which spin around 3800-4000 rpms, if you want something faster than this range, there are other options like; Tacklife EMS01A.
Author’s note: The powerful the motor and rpm, the easier it is for a saw to cut hard materials easily.
The 3800-4000rpm of a motor is considered the fastest motor (here the emphasis is only on the “12-inch miter saw”).
The Tacklife EMS01A sliding compound miter saw offers 4500 rpms but is smaller in size (10-inches).
Well, it doesn’t really matter if you have a faster spin rate of the motor.
The thing that matters the most is the quality of blades combined with the motor.
And, the 15 Amp motor of Tacklife PMS03A combined with TCT blades offers precise and fine cutting and we were impressed with its cutting performance combined with the speed.
In short, this miter saw offers an all-in-one package.
Miter Gauge
A miter scale or a gauge is a tool which holds the workpiece in place at a defined angle to be cut later on by the saw and blades.
Basically, it is a thin metal guide which rides in the miter rails to lock the pivoting section into any angle from -45 degrees to +45 degrees.
In simpler words, a miter scale/gauge holds the workpiece in the place to cut it accurately.
And, if we talk about the miter scale of the Tacklife PMS03A, it is adjustable and allows the user to work at different angles.
Also, it is featured with several positive stops which includes; -45°, -22.5°, 0°, +22.5° and +45°. These angles let the user set the common angles to cut any desired piece easily.
In short, with the help of this miter scale, one can easily make bevel compound cuts and the readings of it are carved on it for better visibility.
Comfortability
As far as the comfortability factor of this miter saw is concerned, the machine has impressed us with its portable nature and lightweight (as compared to other 12-inches sliding compound miter saws in the market).
The speed of the motor, soft-yet-handful of D-shaped handle and sharpened blades allows the user to cut anything easily and comfortably.
However, the point to be noted here is, if you are someone who prefers to work at a distance from power supply (as this is not a battery-powered miter saw), an extension would be a good option in order to get comfortable.
Additional Features
Here are some additional features of this sliding compound miter saw.
Even though most of the miter saws come with a dust bag and laser guide, let’s see what Tacklife PMS03A has to offer.
Laser guide
A laser guide in a miter saw emits a beam of light (thin and sharp laser), this beam shows the user the path to follow in order to cut accurately and precisely.
The laser guide can help those woodworkers who are new or their hands shake when they try to make a precise cut.
However, what really impressed us about the laser guide of PMS03A is, this laser marker can work efficiently in every environment unlike most of the LED guides.
And, if you want to work in a bright environment, then the laser guide wouldn’t be a great help.
Clamping device
A clamping device is basically a fasting tool attached to the saw which helps to hold/secure the workpiece in place to prevent it from any inward pressure.
This device helps the woodworker to cut/grind the material with ease and increases the comfortability factor.
Most of the woodworkers and professional carpenters buy this clamping device separately for convenience but PMS03A offers this tool as an additional feature.
Pretty impressive though.
Maintenance card and Wrenches
Once you open the package, the miter saw also comes with two Allen wrenches and a maintenance card.
The wrenches help you to fix the miter saw easily and the maintenance card helps you to follow the easy instructions on a daily basis to ensure the safety and maintenance of your saw.
Dust bag
Most of the miter saws whether a 10-inch or 12-inch comes with a dust bag.
The main function of a dust bag is to collect the dust and other sweepings while cutting with a miter saw.
Now, if we talk about the dust bag of PMS03A, it offers a large capacity as compared to other miter saws under the same price range.
The advantages and disadvantages of using Tacklife PMS03A Milter Saw
After testing the Tacklife PMS03A miter saw and according to the reports of the buyers, there are some impressive and unfavorable characteristics of this saw that we like to discuss.
Pros
- The design and construction of this miter saw is solid, rigid and durable.
- The miter saw offers 2 years of warranty and lifetime customer support.
- The accurate laser marker helps you to cut the workpiece with ease and efficiency.
- The cutting performance and capacity of this miter saw is impressive as one can cut deeper up to 105 x 330 m and can change the angle to any direction.
- The 15 Amp motor of this saw is powerful as compared to other miter saws having 15 amp motor.
- It is neither too expensive nor cheap.
Cons
- Although the manual, portability and comfortability factor is pretty impressive, a beginner still needs some time to get used to it.
- The laser marker might be a problem for those who work in brighter environments.
- Long durations of keeping this saw untouched/unused can lead to malfunctioning of some parts.
Accessories
The following items are included other than the miter saw itself when you unbox the package.
- A clamping device.
- Dust bag.
- Allen wrenches.
- Side support.
- User manual.
- Warranty card.
- Two extension rods.
- 1 set carbon brush, which is used to conduct electrical current in the motor.
Consumer’s Report
Thousands of buyers have rated Tacklife PMS03A with 4.8 stars out of 5.
According to the majority of them, they were pretty impressed with the overall performance of this saw.
This saw is good for safety purposes also which buyers have liked the most.
It features a safety lock which locks the machine automatically when there are chances to get out of the track to prevent the user from accidents.
However, a few of them complained about the safety shield it comes with (which is fitted around the blades), they said” the safety shield is not tightly secured around the blades”.
So, we would suggest you fix the shield with wrenches prior to using it to be on a safer side.
Recommended Read: Best Jigsaws Under $100
Summary
To sum up, we rate this sliding compound miter saw with a 9/10 score.
No doubt the Tacklife PMS03A miter saw offers all the bells and whistles for a 12-inch miter saw, most of the premium miter saws offer less features than this one and offers twice the price of it.
Overall, it is built up with premium quality materials and the other tools it comes with speaks of sturdiness, thanks to the Tacklife company.
Well, this one is not good for beginners who have absolutely zero knowledge how to grab a miter saw and we wouldn’t recommend it to beginners as they could face some safety hazards.
It is equipped with all the features of modern-day miter saws and is not very expensive as compared to other miter saws (12-inches one).
This is good for professional carpenters, woodworkers and homeowners.
Alternatives and Comparisons
Although there are not quite impressive miter saws of 12-inches which can compete with the Tacklife PMS03A as it offers more features than any other miter saw, there are some alternatives that you may want to consider.
We will compare the best ones with PMS03A so that you can have better insight to make a final decision according to your need, preferences and budget.
Tacklife PMS03A Vs DEWALT DWS715 Milter Saw
The Dewalt DWS715 is another 12-inches miter saw but is single bevel compound miter saw whereas, PMS03A is dual bevel sliding compound miter saw.
Firstly, let’s compare these two with the most important aspects of a miter saw; Motor and Cutting performance.
The 15 Amp motor which spins at 4000 rpm making it more powerful than the Tacklife PMS03A miter saw.
The blades of the DWS715 can only be tilted to the left unlike PMS03A.
However, the miter and bevel cut capacity of Dewalt compound miter saw is the standard ranges -45 to +45 (miter range) and 0 to 48 degrees (bevel capacity, which means it can only move to the left).
The fence of the Dewalt compound miter saw is solid and leveled providing accuracy while cutting a workpiece.
However, it doesn’t come with a good quality dust collection bag unlike the Tacklife PMS03A.
Dewalt DWS715 is good for those hobbyists and professionals who want high speed motors and accuracy.
Also, the Dewalt DWS715 is the best compound miter saw one can get.
Tacklife PMS03A Vs Hercules 12-inch miter saw
The Hercules saw is another 12-inch sliding compound miter saw like Tacklife PMS03A but is expensive.
This tool is a premium choice for professionals and its ease of use also makes it good for starters.
The Hercules 12-inches sliding compound miter saw has the maximum capacity of 14 inches (horizontal cutting capacity).
The 60-Tooth TCT blades of this miter combined with 15 Amp of motor and 4100 rpm speed allows the user to cut a workpiece very precisely and accurately.
The dual bevel blades can accommodate a wide range of cuts which ranges from 60 degrees to right and 50 degrees to left.
This means one doesn’t need to flip the workpiece in order to cut it precisely, this wide range of cutting can easily handle it.
Overall, the Hercules sliding miter saw is the premium choice and if you have an open budget, then this one would be a good consideration.
Tacklife PMS03A Vs Admiral dual bevel miter saw
Admiral has gained a lot of popularity in the market due to manufacturing of advanced and powerful tools and its 12-inch sliding compound miter saw is no less.
Unlike other 12-inches miter saws which we have discussed above, this one is battery powered and it weighs 52 pounds, it is pretty portable.
It is powered with 15 Amp of motor and 3800 rpm speed and has the ability of maximum cutting capacity of 16 inches.
It offers the miter cutting capacity of 60 degrees to the right and 52 degrees to the left.
This miter saw is equipped with a handle which is attached on the top of it making it easier for the users to carry.
Overall, this miter saw offers great portability like Tacklife PMS03A and ease of use, which is good for beginners and professionals as well but when we tested it, the overall cutting performance of it was not much impressive as compared to PMS03A.
One needs to screw the depth stops tightly in order to cut a workpiece deeper.
Comparison table of 4 best 12-inch miter saws
| Tacklife PMS03A | DEWALT DWS715 | Hercules 12-inch miter saw | Admiral 12-inch miter saw (69684) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | 53 pounds | 53 pounds | 55.9 pounds | 52 pounds |
| Blade size | 12-inch | 12- inch | 12-inch | 12-inch |
| Color | Gray and orange | Black and yellow | Gray and blue | Gray and black |
| Type | 12-inch sliding compound miter saw | 12-inch compound miter saw | 12-inch sliding compound miter saw | 12-inch sliding compound miter saw |
| Power source | Corded electric | Corded electric | Corded electric | Battery powered |
| Voltage | 120 Volts | 120 Volts | 120 Volts | – |
| Motor speed | 3800 RPM | 4000 RPM | 4100 RPM | 3800 RPM |
| Warranty | 2 years | 2 years | 1 year | 2 years |
| Dimensions | 28.94 x 13.78 x 17.32 inches | 26.77 x 21.85 x 18.9 inches | 22 x 21 x 34 inches | 13 x 5 x 1 inches |
| Good For | Professional woodworkers, carpenters and homeowners | Hobbyists and professionals who prefer high speed. | Starters and professionals who have open budget | Beginners and professionals who prefer portability factor |
| Check Price | Check on Amazon | Check on Amazon | Check on Amazon | Check on Amazon |
FAQs
Below are some frequently asked questions regarding the Tacklife milter saw.
What are the types of miter saws?
There are three types of miter saws;
- Sliding miter saws.
- Compound miter saws.
- Sliding compound miter saws.
Whereas the sliding compound miter saws are the premium ones and other ones are standard ones.
Why would you need a miter saw?
Miter saws are very helpful and valuable tools for fully functioning workshops.
These saws help you to cut crown molding, door frames, metals, pictures frames and any type of metal, wood and plastic.
Owning a miter saw can save you from spending too much money on carpenters or woodworkers.
What is the significance of a miter saw with a laser guide?
Basically, a laser marker or a laser guide makes the whole process of cutting easier.
It allows the carpenter, woodworker to cut the workpiece without the fear of shaky cuts.
Is Tacklife a good brand?
Yes! Tacklife is a famous brand for making high-end tools which are very fast and convenient.
Also, Tacklife offers brilliant customer support from the start till end.
On a side note, China produces the Tacklife tools which are being used in more than 50 nations across the globe.
What are Tacklife parts made up of?
All the Tacklife parts and tools are made up of premium quality material Aluminum and steel which adds durability and sturdiness to the final end product.
Is Tacklife Band saw good?
Band saws are used to cut curves mostly and to cut irregular shapes.
The Tacklife 10-inches band saw is powered with an electrical cord and is suitable to cut the metal easily in any shape.
Final Verdict
We hope through this detailed review of Tacklife PMS03A and its comparison with the best alternatives in the market, you are able to make a final decision.
We consider PMS03A the best sliding compound Miter saw one can get as it offers all the premium features and specifications (which we have discussed in detail).
Still, every person has its own needs and demands and if you think DEWALT DWS715 suits you more due to its faster pace, you can opt for it (if you prefer speed only).
However, if you have any queries regarding this topic, you can shoot us with questions!
